A ‘Reason’ spells success

The audience wrote their "reasons to be pretty" on a poster outside the theater.

The Railway Players of Western Carolina University continued their Niggli series performing Reasons to be Pretty written by Neil Labute and directed by Claire Eye.

The play showcases two young couples, Greg and Stephanie, who are breaking up, and Kent and Karly, who are “happily” married. The play twists and turns and keeps the audience guessing the outcome.

The set for the Railway Players production was very simple yet effective. Most of the time the stage was the only prop used to indicate space. Yet when the curtains parted behind it lay the full ambiance of a warehouse break room complete with food that the cast indulged in during these scenes.

Senior Timothy Stoeckel, who played Greg, said opening night was more than he expected.

“The cast and crew having been working very hard to insure the success of this production. As one of the cast members, it is thrilling to put a show at this caliber on its feet.”

The foyer of the show was tactfully filled with posters of why students at Western Carolina thought were reasons to be pretty. Also statistics about beauty from national polls were on display.

“Our biggest goal for the run of this show is to touch each audience member in the variety of ways that Reasons to be Pretty lends itself to feel,” Stoeckel said.

“We accomplished this goal and we will continue to tell this story that everyone at one time another has experienced themselves.”

The next show in the Niggli series is theAtrainPlays Vol. 2 written by Timothy Braun, Debra Castellano, Gary Garrison, Michael Lazan, Stephen Oâ€™Rourke, Craig Pospisil, David Riedy, and Erica Silberman and directed by D.V. Caitlyn April 13-16.